


Legacy

by Aingeal98



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Barbara is the youngest, Damian is the oldest, Gen, reverse batfamily
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-08-05 15:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16370036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aingeal98/pseuds/Aingeal98
Summary: Damian had long since given up trying to stop new additions to his family. Once upon a time he would have been angry, but now he just focused on being a good big brother to Dick, the way he hadn’t been the first time Batman replaced him.Not that he felt guilty about that. Stephanie had never been his sister, and he was in no way responsible for what had happened to her. If Tim insisted otherwise, it was only because he was projecting his own guilt onto Damian.(One-shots from a Reverse Batfam universe.)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is another trope that's probably been done plenty of times in this fandom, but I love it so much and I tried to make it original, so hope you guys enjoy! I only reversed the ages of the characters I know well (I'm reading up on Duke and Helena, I'll get there I swear!)  
> In this chapter, Damian is twenty five, Tim is eighteen, Cass and Jason are sixteen, and Dick is ten.

When Damian was younger, he used to have plenty of complaints about Gotham. The streets stank of sewage and rust, half the people looked ready to knife you for a decent meal, and the crumbling infrastructure was a clear health hazard. He’d once told his Father that the U.S should focus less on trying to destabilise the Middle East and more on cleaning up cities like Gotham, which was worse than any third world country Damian had ever been to.

He had been exaggerating back then, the combination of homesickness and insecurity making him a very grouchy ten-year-old. But now that the city had been declared a No Man’s Land and shut off from the rest of the world, it was starting to look just as bad as Damian’s old insults had declared it to be.

Sneaking in had been mildly difficult, but making his way through the city posed no challenge at all. Even in broad daylight, no one questioned the appearance of Redbird. Not when he was in Bat territory.

The clocktower looked as old and unassuming as ever, but Damian knew well that its appearance was as deceptive as the one who lived inside it. He swung up onto the roof, then knocked politely on the window. He’d learnt the first time he came here that attempting to break in was not a wise decision.

The window swung open, and Damian climbed in to the dimly lit room. Situated in front of a bunch of computer screens was a young man with shaggy black hair. Damian walked over to his brother, leaning against the arm of Tim’s wheelchair to observe the cameras he was monitoring.

“You’re early.” Tim said. “The meeting’s not for another hour.”

“Nice to see you too brother. So happy you’re still alive.” Damian rolled his eyes. “How am I? Wonderful, thank you for asking. Bludhaven is keeping me busy, but at least I’m keeping on top of things at Wayne Enterprises.”

“Why are you here Redbird?”

“Well it’s not like there’s much else to do in the city, is there?” Damian stepped back, letting Tim swivel his wheelchair around to face him. “Besides, I don’t like going into these meetings blind, and you’re the one who knows everything that’s happening around here.”

“I’m also more likely to tell you about it than Batman, right?”

“Well it’s not like I’m about to ask Father for tips on how to talk to my newest brother.”

Tim was quiet for a moment, and Damian feared that he wasn’t going to help. But when he looked Damian in the eye, there was no anger there.

“How’s Robin?” Tim asked.

“Most likely delighted that he’s finally allowed to help.” Damian smiled fondly. “Apparently he was very angry that Batman forbid him from being in Gotham. Not even being with his team could lessen his sulking.”

“Are they still calling themselves the Outlaws?”

“But of course.” Damian smirked. “Teen rebellion is a crucial stage in adolescence, regardless of whether the team actually has a single outlaw on it.”

“In that case I won’t remind him that his team is completely sanctioned by the Justice League and consists of young wholesome superheroes.” Tim shook his head fondly. “At least your Teen Titans had a decent name.”

“Well we have to let him keep some of his pride. There’ll be plenty of time to look back and make fun of him once he grows older.” Damian hesitated, but decided to just bite the bullet. “’How’s Dick?”

“He’s good. Amazingly good, considering the world around him.” Tim replied proudly. “He’s nervous about the adoption, but excited to meet you and Jason.”

“Mm.” Damian ran his fingers along the dusty table beside him. “You know, I feel like I shouldn’t be surprised, but at the same time I am. I suppose it just seemed to me like you were his main guardian.”

“I’m closer to him than Bruce is right now, but hopefully he’ll learn to love us equally.” Tim sighed sadly. “Besides, there was no way I could adopt him. I’m eighteen and I’m in a wheelchair. The courts would never go for it, and honestly, I wouldn’t want them to. He’s my little brother, that’s all.”

“Fair enough.” Damian shrugged. “I suppose I’m just surprised he was so quick to adopt Dick when he has yet to adopt Cassandra.”

“I’d say that has something to do with her two living parents.” Tim wheeled himself over and batted Damian’s hands away from continuing his dust inspection. “He’s worried that she won’t accept if he offers, even though her mom and her dad are both horrible. I mean, it’s not like it was with Steph-”

The room became silent, the weight of history lying heavy between them.

Damian hated it.

“It’s been three years.” he growled. “Surely we’ve reached the point where it’s alright to say her name. You can’t possibly still be mourning her so heavily.”

“Try mentioning her around Bruce. Then you’ll see how alright it is.” Tim spat back. “Why are you trying to pretend like you don’t feel as shitty as the rest of us?”

“Because while I mourn Stephanie, I don’t blame myself for what Black Mask did to her! You and Father are unbearable to be around whenever her name gets mentioned.”

“Don’t snap at me when _you’re_ the one who came here to make sure you don’t screw up with Dick the way you did with her!” Tim jabbed his finger at Damian. “Don’t come at me with that bullshit when your guilt over her is one of the main reasons you try so hard with Jason!”

“You know _nothing_.” Damian snarled. “You weren’t around when she died! You had your perfect happy family with your two loving parents! Alfred and I were the ones who took care of Bruce in the months after she died. You only stopped being an outsider less than two years ago!”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Tim sneered. “Keep pretending that I know nothing because of when I was adopted. But the truth is that I’ve known you since you were sixteen. I know the real Damian Wayne, not the perfect big brother you try so hard to be. I remember how you treated your successor, because I was the only one Stephanie felt comfortable venting to.”

“Stephanie was never my responsibility,” Damian stormed back towards the window. “and coming here was a mistake.”

“It always is.” Tim laughed hollowly. “See you in an hour.”

“Try not to psychoanalyze my relationship with Jason when he’s standing right next to me.”

With that parting shot Damian leapt back out onto the rooftop. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a black cape dart away, but he didn’t feel like pursuing his probably soon to be future sister. Maybe once the adoption papers got signed and she officially became family, he would try to talk more with Black Bat.

He could practically hear Tim’s voice in his head, complaining that he was making the same mistakes again. It was ridiculous. Damian had no obligation to bond with Cassandra, just like he hadn’t with Stephanie.

He had no obligation to feel the same survivor’s guilt that haunted both Father and Tim.

All he had wanted was some information on Dick. Jason had been the first time Damian had actually tried to get on with a new member of the family, but even with his best attempts to be friendly there had been some rough patches. Damian didn’t regret it though, because he had learnt from his mistakes, and now he was determined to know everything important about his new brother before their first meeting. The more Damian knew, the less he could slip up and accidentally upset Dick.

But with Tim being Tim, there was only one option left. He leapt off the rooftop and began to swing south, down towards where Batman would likely be patrolling. After a few blocks, he landed on top of a shut down library and felt a dark shadow fall over him. Turning around, he saw a black cape much bigger than the one he’d seen earlier.

“Redbird.” Batman said. “You’re early.”

“I am.” Damian turned around to face his father. “I misjudged how easy it is to sneak into Gotham. The media made it seem like suicide, but they do like to dramatize.”

“Who else is here?”

“Well Drake- I mean Nerve.” He quickly corrected himself at Batman’s glare. “is where he always is, and I saw Black Bat lurking around here somewhere, but there’s no sign of Robin yet.”

“He’ll be here soon. Red Tornado tells me he’s on his way. Have you seen Azrael?”

“No. Do we really need him anyway?”

“Black Bat is supposed to be on bedrest, which means we need all the extra manpower we can get.”

“Bedrest? Then why did I see her flitting around rooftops five minutes ago?”

Batman didn’t dignify that with a response. He took off, leaving Damian standing alone on the roof of the library. He waited a moment, picturing Batman getting further and further away. Once his mental map placed Batman over six blocks away from Damian, he turned around. With zero surprise, he found Black Bat standing behind him.

“I heard you’re supposed to be on bedrest.”

“Broken arm, broken leg.” Black Bat shrugged. “I can still fight.”

“Dr Thompkins would disagree, and she’s going to be furious that you snuck out. Go home.”

“Trouble with Two-Face. Batman needs help.”

“I’ll handle it. You’re no use to anyone if you injure yourself permanently.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Go home Black Bat.”

She didn’t move, not that Damian expected her to. Adopted or not, stubbornness seemed to be a trait the whole family shared.

“Robin is coming?”

“Yes, and I’ll tell him to visit you before he leaves. But only if you go back to Dr Thompkins and listen to her when she says to stay in bed.”

Cass tilted her head, and seemed to understand that this was the best offer Damian would give her. She nodded, slipping back into the shadows.

Part of Damian wondered if he could have handled that better, been nicer. He thought he’d done well enough, but perhaps he had been too cold.

Ugh, Drake was definitely getting to him. That, or the disgustingly polluted air. Even Bludhaven wasn’t this bad.

With a little shake of his head, Damian dove off the rooftop. A good scrap with some of Two-Face’s goons was exactly what he needed to clear his mind.

He’d been perfectly content as an only child. Three younger siblings that would probably become four soon was never something Damian had anticipated, but this seemed to be the hand life had dealt him. Honestly, sometimes he wished _he_ was the youngest one. Just so the others could understand how he felt.

But at the same time, he couldn’t really imagine it. After all, if he wasn’t the oldest then that responsibility would fall to Tim, and there was no way Damian could ever let that happen.


	2. Damian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Damian is the first child in this AU, Bruce and Talia have consensual sex at the age of 16. It's not very detailed and it's not a huge part of the story but I figured I should warn people in case it's something they really don't want to read.

When Bruce Wayne began his journey around the world at age 14, it was with the sole goal of obtaining all the training he needed to truly rid Gotham of evil. If he could, Bruce would have spent every second of his time abroad honing his body and mind in order to become a capable crime fighter. Unfortunately, for him, not all those willing to train him were willing to do so every minute of every day. A few even insisted that Bruce take a break from his constant training before he seriously injured himself.

This was how sixteen-year-old Bruce Wayne found himself seated in a seedy, run down bar in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Originally, he only intended to stay for three hours before returning to his Kurash instructor. The man had said to stay out for at least two, and by staying for three Bruce would give the impression that he lost track of time due to truly relaxing and enjoying himself.

That was his plan going in. Then Talia al Ghul walked into the bar, and both of their lives were changed forever.

Looking back on it, Bruce still couldn’t give a decent explanation as to why he let her buy him far more drinks than he had intended to consume. She had a mysterious charm to her, and even without knowing anything other than her first name, Bruce could feel a hint of danger in the way she looked at him. After months of carefully structured training, the thrill he felt was welcome in an embarrassingly juvenile way, and for one night Bruce allowed himself to be reckless.

Talking and drinking led to kissing and drinking which led to finding a discreet hotel and drinking. Even at his most reckless, Bruce wasn’t foolish enough not to use condoms. But while he did slip one on, both of them were too distracted to notice when it broke.

In the morning, she was gone.

Bruce didn’t dwell on it. He went back to his Kurash training, and then moved on after another few months once his instructor admitted that he had nothing left to teach him. The night spent with Talia remained a pleasant memory, but not one Bruce ever thought would be relevant again.

Ten years later, she showed up on the doorstep of Wayne Manor with a boy she claimed was his son.

To say it was an unexpected reunion would be an understatement.

After being active as Batman for over a year, it took a lot to surprise Bruce nowadays. This was one of the rare occasions where he was truly shocked, and it was only after they were all sitting down in the living room and Alfred had poured them all tea that Bruce finally felt capable of speaking.

“What is this Talia?”

“What do you mean what is this? This is your son. Damian, say hello.”

The boy did not look pleased at his mother’s order, but he obeyed sulkily.

“Pleasure to meet you Father. I imagined you taller.”

“Damian.”

“Well I did.”

Bruce didn’t know how to respond to that. He was still struggling to accept the possibility that the boy was really his son, so he focused on Talia instead.

“Why now? What game are you playing Talia?”

The boy, Damian, flinched minutely at Bruce’s words, and part of Bruce felt guilty for dismissing him. But he needed to understand the situation before he could be capable of talking to Damian.

“You mean you don’t know?” Talia’s eyes gleamed. “I expected better from you, _detective._ ”

If Bruce wasn’t already in shock from her surprise appearance, this latest revelation would have thoroughly stunned him.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Let’s not play games Batman. My full name is Talia al Ghul.”

She noticed the look of surprise in his eyes and laughed.

“You really didn’t know? Well I suppose that’s somewhat understandable. My sources tell me that you only started investigating my father a few weeks ago.”

“Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins wasn’t a priority for me until recently.” Bruce admitted. “Is that why you brought Damian here? To try and distract me from investigating your father and his League of Assassins?”

“You’re so suspicious.” Talia cooed. “The League is just one part of the al Ghul empire. The truth is a boy needs his father. Damian’s training has reached a point where it would be more beneficial for him to study under you than in the League.”

“His training?” Bruce felt a new surge of anger. “You mean to tell me that this boy has been subjected to assassin training?”

“Unfortunately, he’s not perfect.” Talia sighed. “You see, for so long we were raising him as the heir of the al Ghul empire as well as Bruce Wayne’s business empire. It’s only recently that we discovered that his father is far more than a simple billionaire. Damian’s well trained, but I’m afraid we spent too much of his childhood focusing on grooming him for business meetings and not enough on making him a proper heir to both the Demon and the Bat.”

Damian’s ears flushed red at his mother’s words, and Bruce felt pity for him, although it was mostly drowned out by the horror he was feeling. Bruce had done enough research into the League to be disgusted at the organization. Even if Damian was only trained by them, it was enough to make Bruce furious. Regardless of whether the boy was his son or not, no child deserved to be raised as an assassin.

But if Damian _was_ his son then that made Bruce directly responsible for the suffering inflicted on this boy. If he hadn’t slept with Talia, Damian wouldn’t exist. He wouldn’t have grown up in the League. He wouldn’t have had such a horrific childhood. A DNA test was needed to be sure, but Bruce could see the resemblance between him and Damian, and it made him sick.

“How extensive was this League training?” he asked slowly, holding his anger back carefully.

“Don’t worry, he’s well prepared to work with you.” Talia waved her hand dismissively. “He’s a capable businessman obviously but Damian has also been fighting since he was very young. He’s mastered plenty of martial arts and weaponry as well as other skills he’ll be happy to show you. My little warrior is a formidable opponent, so I’m sure you’ll find him very useful. The pathetic criminals here in Gotham won’t stand a chance against him, especially since he’s not as hesitant as you are to kill when necessary.”

Bruce gripped the armrests on his chair, squeezing them to remain calm. He couldn’t tell if Talia was deliberately trying to bait him or if she was truly proud of how she had raised Damian.

“So you want him to stay with me? That’s the only reason you came here?”

“It is.”

“For how long will you allow him to stay?”

“Until Damian is ready to return.”

Bruce looked at Damian, who glared at the floor.

“And when will that be?” he asked.

“I don’t know.” Talia replied simply. “Damian is here to learn from you. When he feels like you have nothing more to teach him, he will return.”

_He will never return._ Bruce thought fiercely. _I will never let this boy suffer under the League’s abuse again._

“I’m going to file for custody.” Bruce said instead. “If he’s staying with me, he’ll do it legally.”

“Of course.” Talia nodded, and then she stood.

She dusted down her dress, patted Damian gently on the head, and then moved towards the door. Bruce wondered if he should stop her, but something held him back. Damian’s safety was the priority, and until he knew more about who he was dealing with he couldn’t make any rash moves. Talia knew his secret identity and her father was Ra’s al Ghul. Those two facts made her incredibly dangerous, and if she left now it would give Bruce more time to come up with a strategy for dealing with her.

“Alfred can see you out.”

Talia paused at the door, and when she turned back around, she actually looked slightly hurt.

“You know, the ideal option would be if all three of us lived together, but I can see you’re not ready to consider that option yet.”

“You’re right. I’m not.”

“Why not?” Damian spoke up again. “Mother loves you! Don’t you love her too?”

“Damian!” Talia snapped, but then she forced a smile at her son. “Don’t say childish things like that. Be good for your father, and remember I’m just a phone call away if you need to talk.”

“Yes Mother.”

Once again, Bruce felt the need to say something in defence of the boy. Once again, the unfamiliar feeling of being completely out of his depth held him back. He heard Talia conversing pleasantly with Alfred, then the door shut and silence filled the manor.

Bruce vaguely hoped that Alfred would come in to ease the awkward tension, but for whatever reason the butler remained out in the hall, leaving Bruce alone with the boy who claimed to be his son.

“I suppose you’ll want to run a DNA test?” Damian sounded bored. “Take me to your secret laboratory and we can get that out of the way.”

Now that Talia was gone, Bruce allowed himself to shift priorities. The boy was in no immediate danger, which meant Bruce’s could focus on helping him mentally and emotionally.

Dear God, he was not prepared for this at all.

“Actually Damian, it doesn’t matter to me if you’re my biological son.” he said calmly. “If you want to stay here, then you’re welcome for as long as you’d like.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? Of course it matters!” Damian yelled angrily. “I’m not some charity case! I’m your son! Your heir! Do the DNA test and you’ll see!”

Bruce held up his hands in a gesture of peace, because Damian was getting so worked up he was bouncing up and down in the seat.

“If it will make you happy, I’ll do the DNA test.” he said placatingly. “But regardless of the results, I’m happy to take custody of you Damian, if that’s truly what you want.”

“It’s not about what I _want_.” Damian snarled. “It’s about my birthright. You are my father, and even if you won’t accept that you should have the decency not to patronize me.”

This was… very difficult. Damian seemed to be getting the wrong message from every sentence Bruce said.

“I’m sorry.” he tried. “Did you bring anything with you to unpack? I’m sure Alfred will be happy to help you pick a room.”

“I don’t want to unpack! Take me to your headquarters and run the DNA test.”

Well, the kid couldn’t get much clearer than that. After a brief talk with Alfred, who agreed to put Damian’s things in guest room next to Bruce, he blindfolded Damian and led him to the cave.

Damian allowed him to take cells from the inside of his mouth, and they both waited in silence as the computer compared Damian’s DNA to Bruce.

The results came up. They both had the same genetic markers.

Bruce had been expecting this, but with the evidence in front of him the guilt weighed heavier on his heart. Damian didn’t allow him to wallow for long.

“Are you satisfied now? I’m your son! Show me the respect I deserve!”

“What do you mean by that, Damian?” Despite his son’s temper, Bruce still tried to keep his voice as calm and neutral as possible.

“I mean fight me!”

Damian swung at him, and Bruce blocked, still trying to remain calm.

“Why? Is that how they showed respect in the League?”

“Don’t ask dumb questions! Treat me like a serious opponent and fight me!”

Bruce blocked Damian’s kick, surprised when his follow up punch actually managed to graze his face with the sharp brass knuckles. Talia hadn’t been lying about the child’s training. Bruce would have to be careful not to underestimate him.

“I’m happy to spar with you Damian. But if you want me to take you seriously in a spar then I need you to ask nicely.”

“What the hell does that mean? I want to fight you not invite you for tea!”

Bruce gave a deep sigh as he blocked yet another punch. He’d never thought about being a parent, and although he’d seen a few movies about long lost fathers and sons learning to be a family, none of them applied to his current situation.

This was going to be difficult, but Bruce was willing to give Damian the life he deserved. Everything had changed in just one day, but there was no going back. He had an incredibly damaged son now, and he was going to be as patient and parental as he needed to be in order to raise Damian right.

Damian kicked him in the shin. Bruce took another deep breath.

Maybe he needed to buy some parenting books.


End file.
